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Celebrating debutantes and quinceañeras : coming of age in American ethnic communities

Looking beyond the satin gowns, opera-length gloves, and sparkling tiaras that signify Filipino debutantes and Mexican quinceañeras, Evelyn Ibatan Rodriguez examines the meaning of these coming-of-age rituals for immigrant American families. Celebrating Debutantes and Quinceañeras draws parallels between these communal ceremonies, as they share a commonality in Spanish heritage and Catholicism in a highly ritualized celebration. Rodriguez analyses these rites and festivities to explain what they reveal about the individuals, families, and communities who organize and participate in them.Read more...

Una cordial invitación --
"No two are the same": quinceañera and debut rituals and performances --
Lazos/Ties that bind: quinceañera and debut social networks --
Pagdadalaga/Blossoming: becoming the debutante --
Traviesos/Troublemakers --
Pagalaala na/Just a remembrance: the work of making memories --
Conclusion: the after-party.

Responsibility:

Evelyn Ibatan Rodriguez.

Abstract:

How young women's coming of age rites cement community relations and reinforce ethnic identityRead more...

Reviews

Editorial reviews

Publisher Synopsis

"Celebrating Debutantes provides a convincing argument about how different migration patterns, rates of assimilation, and socioeconomic statuses result in coming-of-age celebrations taking on divergent meanings for Mexican and Filipino families. Rodriguez deftly weaves Mexican and Filipino histories, experiences of and motivations for migration to America, and shows how Mexican immigrants often use quinceaneras as a way of showing social status in their ability to host elaborate events for their daughters, contrary to stereotypes about their working-class identity or fiscal irresponsibility. For Filipino immigrants, tasteful celebrations allow families a chance to demonstrate how they fit into American culture. For those interested in gender and gender stratification, this book is particularly compelling in its examination of a ritual that celebrates girls as individuals." - Gender & SocietyRead more...